continued fraction

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. a fraction whose denominator contains a fraction whose denominator contains a fraction, and so on.

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continued fraction British  

noun

1. a number plus a fraction whose denominator contains a number and a fraction whose denominator contains a number and a fraction, and so on

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Etymology

Origin of continued fraction

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

These latest projects are primarily driven by a specific continued fraction whose nested integers form the sequence 1, 2, 3,…, Elsner says.

From Scientific American

Instead, prepare to be amazed by continued fractions, the dreamiest new way to celebrate a mathematical Valentine’s Day!

From Scientific American

My latest big-time floundering was in trying to work out the continued fraction for e.

From New York Times

Here’s an introduction paraphrased from Mr. Bickford’s site: For those who don’t know, continued fractions are ways of expressing a number in the form shown to the right.

From New York Times

And of course, you can continue to post comments about Fibonacci numbers, tribonacci numbers, continued fractions, or post new graphical ways to visualize the process.

From New York Times